Machine for trimming rubber heels



A Aprila; 1928.

SQJ. FINN MACHINE FOR TRIMMING RUBBER HELS Filed *Feb 3. 1926, 2Sheets-Sheetl April 3, 1928. 1,664,604

' s. J. FINN MACHINE FOR TRIMMING RUBBER HEELS Filed Feb. 5. 1926 v -2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented pr. 3, 19,28.r

SIDNEY J. FINN, OF .BEVERL Y, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOEJYIAV CHINERYY CORPORATION, v0F PATERSON,NEW JERSEY, A' CORPORATION 0FNEW JERSEY.

MACHINE Fon v'ranma/[ING4 RUBBER HEELS.

i Application med February 3, 1926. serial no; 85,718.

This invention relates to trimming-machines and is hereinillustratedasembodied vin a machine designedl to trim the overflow fromrubber heels Vfor boots and shoes.

To those familiar` with the moldingV of rubber heels it is known thatthe platesy and 4the cavity memberjof a heel mold are rarely if everfitted so accurately as to prevent overfiow ofthe rubber. Thus,overflowk commonly occurs both at the tread surface and at the attachingsurface, and at the breast of the heel as well as around the periphery.`

A preferred style of rubber heel for rubber boots differs from otherrubber heels in that it is molded with a thin, flexible lip formed onand projecting from the breast asl an extensionjofthe attachingsurface.' Such a lip, by-.reason of its Vfiexiblity, is adapted toconform'readily tothe transverse or other curva-ture of the shank vofthe boot, and when properly vulcanized to the shank itlprovides a moresatisfactory joint' between the heell and the lboot than would be formedif the heel had no lip. On the other hand, the provision of a lipintroduces an additional trimming problem, since it Visnecess'ary totrim off vwhatever overflowis formed on the forwardedge of the lip andat the same time to preserve the lip for its intended purpose.

ToY this K end a feature of the invention consists kin an improvedorganization comprising trimming means and a Work-guiding memberarrangedto clear a lipsuch as that` describedand to engage the surfacefrom lwhich the lip projects.y The `work-guiding member is thusarrangedl to maintain' the aforesaid surface at asuitable' distancefrom' the trimming means to preserve the lip from being cut by thetrimming means while the:

' adjustments overflow ,is being ,trimmed from lthe lip.

It is desirable that an overflow-'trimming machine lshould be-,us'ablenot only to trim' i the overfiow from a lip as aforesaid, Vbut also totrim .the .overflow from other `parts oftheheel. Accordingly, in theillustrated 'machine they work-guiding member is arranged to beadjustable toward andfrom the may be'used to trim off the overflow flushwith the body of the heel around the peripheryand at the junction of thebreast and tread surfaces. i Furthermore, if the heel has l no lip suchas that hereinbefore described the machine is usable to trim theoverflow from the junction of the breast and the attaching surface.

Many operatives prefer equipped with a Work table, particularly whenthey use the machine to trim the overflow from the periphery of theheel. Vhen the latter operation is being performed it is necessary Y toturn the heel, and the work table not only ihelps to speed productionbut it helps to make j theY trimming uniform. The work ltable is alsodesirable when trimming the overflow'from a lip formed'on the breast. Itis preferably mounted to ltilt about a horizontal axis so that ytheplaneof the work-supporting surface may be inclined more or lessrelatively to the trimmingmeans, to facilitate close trimming. Y' Priormachines a l machine have been provided with Work tables adapt ed to betilted in this manner and a handle has been attached to the work tablein such aposition that the operative, while manipulating the heelwiththe right hand, could manipulate the handle with the left hand to adjustthe Work table to the desired angle.

Now, however, since an overflow trimming v machine, to'be universallyadaptable to trim all parts of all-styles of heels, requires adjustmentof the work-guiding member to oneY and consequently a further object ofthe in-` vention is to provide convenient means by which the operativemay effectboth of these individuallyl or collectively withoutsubstantially retarding production,

to the end that a heel, whether it has. a lip or not, may be whollytrimmedv with one handling.

Accordingly, another feature ventionv consists in a manually movablyadjusting member and connections arranged to communicate movementthereof tothe work-k vguiding member, whereby the latter may be adjustedin accordance with the requirements of the operation to be performed.The said manuallymovable member is also preferably connected tothe worlatable so' of the in-v ber while movement of another kind iscoinmunicated exclusively to -th`el work table.Vrll

Consequently, by suitably controlling the movements of the manuallymovable member "thelatter may be used to maintain either one of theadjustable work-engaging ineinbers in any desired position while it is.being moved to alter the adjustment of the other one of saidwork-engaging members.

`Still anotherV object of the invention is to provide improved means forfeeding the work relatively to the trimming means. Accordingly, theillustrated feeding means comprises the aforesaid work-guiding memberwhich is preferably a yrotary disk having a substantially flat marginalwork-engaging surfacefThis disk is driven by vsuitable transmissionmeans and its work-engaging Y lsurface, being fiat, is adapted to have aconsiderable area of contact with flat surfaces such as straight breastsand is also adapted' tohave a considerable area of contact with convexsurfaces such as the peripheries of heels. Inasmuch as the plane rofythis flat, work-engagin`g surface is at right angles t0 the axis ofrotation, the aforesaid adjustment of the work-guiding member may bereadily effected by shifting it lengthwise of its axis.

Other-features of the invention arehereinafter described and' claimedandare illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

Referring tothe drawings: l Fig. l is a perspective view of a portion ofan overflow trimming machine organized in accordance with thisinvention;

.Figs 2 and Sai-e perspective views'of a rubber-boot heel before andafter being trimmed; l

Fig. l is a'vertic'alsection through a poitien of the machine and showsa. rubber-boot heelin position to have the overflow trimmed from thelip;

F ig. 5 is a top plan view, partly'in section,

of a suitable form' of means for comi'nunicating'adjusting movement froma. manually movable memberl to the work-guiding niember; and

Fig. 6 is afviewsimilar to Fig. l showing another style of heel and acorrespondingly different adjustment of the work-guiding y member.

vIn various respectsrthe' general organizag tion of the illustratedoverflow trimmingmachine is like that disclosed in -United IStatesLetters Patent No. 1,534,251.' granted April 2l, 1925, up'on applicationof James A. Brogan, and reference may be had to said Letters Patent fora more complete disclosure of the construction and yoperation of partsnot fully describedherein.

The illustrated machine comprises a main i frame Vl() having suitable.bearings fortwo driven' cutter-shafts, l2, 14: and 4other parts to bedescribed. Rotary shearingcutters 16,

.18 are-attached respectively to the said shafts and are arranged to lapone another slight-ly, assho'wn in Figs. l and 6. Their directions ofrotation are indicated by arrows iii Fig. 4.-

work-supportingtable 2O isT mounted -`lon horizontal truii'nioiis 22,and fa,

handle .24 isp/connected to the table for the purpose 'of tilting'lthelatterabcut the axis of said tr'unnions'to varyl'the angle ofinclination'of the worlfengaging surface "of the table. Ears 2.6 areformed on Jthe table and the handle 24 is pivo'tedzthereto by a screw26.v l

The workis guided relatively to thecuty ters byr a substantially Y flatVVwoiik;engaging surface 32 formed on the margin of 'a rotary disk 30.This .disk is attached by a screw 34 to a` shaft erstem 36 journaled in'a suitable bearing formed in a. bracket'38. Theshaft 86 is providedwith'a pulley 4:0 to be Vdriven by a belt-42. As shown, vthe belt passes'over idle pulleys 44 and is driven byna pulley (not shown) lon thecutter shaft 12.] Since close trimming onthe body of "the heel ie`quires incli'ning the heelto "counteract they thickness ofthe "guidingmember 3Q ('see Fig. 6) the back of the latter `Vis'l'aeve'led jto.

a thin edge and theaxis thereof is correspondingly inclined to Vtake`advantage of; the bevel and to maker the lines of adjusting movementsubstantially Aparalle'lto the aver-Y` age planeof theA work-supportingtable. n The workfguiding member 30 is vnormally urgedtoward'tlie'cutter `18 by a compression spring'4l6 [arranged in a socketin the bracket 38 and bearingagainst a head i8 formedfon a screw carriedby the lstem 36. The stem is provided with `an internal screwfthread toVengage the member 48A so that the latter maybe adjusted to variouspositions rela`V tively vto the stem. The head 48 is prefer-` ablyconeish'aped to have line contact with a cam surface 50 formed on aslide 52 (Fig.

5). A portion 56 of the bracket 38 engagesV Y a Aflatsiirface' 5lof ltheslide to `sustain the thrust of the spring 46. Ther bracket 'is boredtop/providev a bearing 58 k'iii which a stem 60- ofthe slide 52 isarranged. The

rangeof movement of the member 52 mayA be regulated by twoadju'stablestops 62' andr G4, the stop 62 beingianutscrewedon one endofthe stem 60. and the stop 64 being` a screw extending through a Yportionof the member 52. A compressionspr'ing 66 surrounding tlie 'stem V60normally shifts thel slide'52 in one Vdi'rectiolnas 'fa'r 'as/the; stop62 will permit, the cam' surface 50'thereby permitting the guiding andfeeding disk 80 to approach closely to the cutter' 18, as shown by Figs.5 and 6. When the slide 52 isv shifted in the opposite direction, thecam surface 50 shifts the guiding and feeding member`30 away from thecutter 18to the position shown by Fig. 4, this position being variableand determined by adjustment of the stop-screw 64 which abuts againstthe stationary bracket 88.

To enable the operative. to shift the workguiding and feeding member 30by the same handle that is provided to tilt the work-supporting table20, said handle provided with an operating finger 68 and the slide 52 isprovided with a member 7 0 arranged to be engaged by said finger. Theeffective surface of the member 7 0 extends at right angles to the axisofthe trunnions 22 to render the tilting of the work-supporting table 20and the corresponding movement of the handle 24 of no effect withrespect to the position of the guiding and feeding 4member 80. On theother hand, movement of the handle 24 about its pivot 28 is effective toshift the work-guiding and feedingmember 30, but this kind ofmovementofthe handle'has no effect with respect to the inclination ofthe work-supporting table 20. If Vit were desired to shift both themembers 20 and 30 simultaneously it could be accomplished by a compoundmovement of the handle 24 including a component of movement about theaxis of the trunnions 22 and .ay comyponent of movement about the pivotmember 28. Thus, the handle 24 is adaptedl to adjust either the member20 or the member 80 or both, as the case may be, according tol Vwithouthindrance. The guiding` member 30 functions by engagement with thevbodyof4 the will of the operative. I

The piece of work shown in Fig. 8 represents a rubber-boot heel afterall the overflow has been trimmed therefrom. The sameV heel, beforebeing trimmed, is shown by Fig.` 2. The body of the heel vhas a treadsurface 72, a'x periphery 74, a. breast 7 6 and a concave attachingsurface 78. Athin flexible lip 8O is formed onthe breast as an extensionof the attac-hing surfacey 78. In the molding of such a heel it usuallyhappens that an overflow formation 82 projects from the junction of theperiphery and the tread surface and from the junction of the breast andtread surface. A corresponding fin 84 ofy overflow commonly projectsfrom the junction of the periphery and the attaching face 78, and sincea heel of this style has a lip 80 it usually happens that a fin 86 ofoverflow is formed thereon.

To trim the overflow fromv a heel such as that shown by Fig. 2, thepreferred method of procedure is to trim off the overflow 82 andthereafter trim off the overflow 84 and 86. To follow this procedure thetread surface 72 would be placed on thetablev20 and the guiding andfeeding member ()v would trimming.

is the first surface to be trimmed, it would be held in contact with thedat face 82 of the member 80.- rlhe junction of the tread and peripherywould thus be brought into tangential relation to the cutters, thetilting of the table 20 being instrumental Ain regulating, within narrowlimits, the closeness of By manipulating the handle 24 with the lefthand and theheel with the right hand the operative may work rapidly,since the feeding of the work is accomplished by the rotation of themember 30 in thefdig rection indicated by an arrow on the stem 86 1nFig. 4. Having traversed the periphery f 74, the breast 76 may be placedin contact with the member 3() to trim the overflowv from the junctionof the tread and breast. Thenfinverting the heel, the operative willplace the attaching face on the table 20 and will proceed 'as'before totrim the overflow V84 from the junction lof the attaching face and theperiphery. lt remains now merely to trim the'overflow 86 from the lip80, and the operative will first remove the handle 24 about the pivot 28to shift the member 30 away .from the cutters to the position shown byFig. 4.V It is to be assumed that the stop screw 64 has been adjustedaccording to the width of the lip 80 so that when the outward movementof the guiding member 8O is arrested Vthereby the member 30 willmaintain the breast of the heel spaced a suitable distance from thecutter 18, as shown by Fig. 4. The member 30is also spaced a suitabledistance above the table 20 to clear the lip 80, and the trimming maytherefore proceed the heel when the machine is used to trim the overflow86 from the lip 80 as well as when it is used to trim the overflow flushwith the body of the heel.

A heel such as that illustrated in Fig. 6

yhas no lip and may therefore be trimmed without separating the member8() from the cutter 18. This heel is a typical example of a heeldesigned to be attached to a walking shoe. The tread is indicated at 88,the periphery at 90, the attaching surface at 92 and the breast at 94.All the overflow 96 may be trimmed from the heel of this style while theguiding andfeedingA member 30 remains in contiguous relation to thecutter 18, and

when large numbers require trimming it is dled again to trim theoveriiow from the breast at both the tread 88 and the attaching surface92. The latter operation is represented by Fig. 6. v

rllhe foregoing examples of work illustrate the universal adaptabilityof the illustrated machine to trim all overflow from all styles ofrubber and rubber composition heels. j

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A machine for trimming the overflow from rubber heels, comprisingtrimming means, and a work-guiding member a1'- ranged to clear a lipformed on a surface of a heel and to engage said surface to space itfrom said means while the latter trims the overflow from said lip.

2. A machine for trimming the overflow from rubber heels, comprisingtrimming means, and a rotary disk having a substantially flat marginalportion arranged to clear a lip formed on the body of a heel and toengage said body to space ity from said means while the latter trims theoverflow form said lip. l

A machine for trimming the overflow from rubber heels, comprising'trimming means, and a rotary driven` member having a substantially flatsurface arranged to engage the body of a heel to feed the latter and toguide it while said means trims the overtlow therefrom.

e. A machine for trimming the overflow from rubber heels, comprisingtrimming means, and a rotary driven disk having a thin and substantiallyiat marginal portion arranged to engage the body of the heel to feed andguide the latter while said means trims the overflow therefrom, saiddisk being adjustable lengthwise of its axis to regulate the closenessof trimming.

5. A machine for trimming the overflow from molded rubber articlescomprising rotary shearing cutters and means for driving them, awork-engaging table relatively to which an article of work may be fed incooperative relation to said cutters. a rotary disk the marginal portionof which is in lapped relation to one of the said cutters and isprovided with a flat work-engaging face, and means for driving said diskto feed an article of work held manually against said flat face.

G. A machine for trimming the overflow from molded rubber articles,comprising rotary shearing cutters and means for driving them, a rotarydisk the marginal por-A tion of which is' arranged in lapped confrontingrelation to one of said cutters to engage and guide the article, andmeans for driving ,said disk to feed the article, said disk beingadjustable lengthwise of its axis to regulate thg closeness of trimming.

7. A trimming machine comprising a rotary trimming cutter, and a rotarydriven workfeeding disk arranged in lapped relation to said cutter, oneside of.` said diskA having a substantially flatwork-engagingvsurfaceand the opposite side having a beveled marginal face confronting saidcutter, the axis of said disk and the axis of said cutter being at anangle to counteract the angle of said beveled face. y

8. A machine for trimming the overflow from molded rubber articles,comprising trimming means, a work-engaging member arranged to controlthe closeness of trimming, said member being adjustable to regulate thecloseness of trimming, a spring arranged to adjust said member in onedirection, and manually operative means arranged to adjust it in theopposite direction.

9. A machine for trimming the overflow from molded rubber articles,comprising, trimming means, work-feeding mechanism' including a rotarydriven worleengaging member arranged to be adjustable axially toregulate the closeness of trimming, a manually operative controller, andmeans arranged to communicate movement of said controller to adjust saidworkfengaging member axially. l

l0. A machine for trimming the overiow from molded rubberV articles,comprising trimming means, an adjustable work-sup porting table, anadjustable work-guiding member arranged to control the closeness oftrimming, a manually operative adjusting member arranged to adjust saidtable, and means arranged to communicate movement from the latter saidmember lto adjustl said work-guiding member.

ll. A machine for trimming the overflow from molded rubber articles,comprising trimming means, an angularly adjustable worlesupportingtable, an adjustable work-- guiding` member arranged to control thecloseness oftrimming, a manually operative adjusting member, andconnections arranged to communicate adjusting movements to said tableand to saidk guiding member from said adjusting member. 1 j

12. A machine for trimming the overflow from molded rubber articles,comprising trimming means, an adjustable work-support-ing table, anadjustable work-guiding member arranged to control the closeness oftrimming, and an adjusting member movable in one direction to adjustsaid table and, in another direction to adjust said guidingV member.

13. A machine for trimming the overflow from molded rubber articles,comprising 125 trimming means, an adjustable work-supporting table, anadjustable work-guiding member arranged to control the closeness oftrimming, and an adjusting member movable about one axis to adjust saidtable and about Awe another axis to adjust said guiding member. 14. Atrimming machine comprising a rotary trimming cutter7 a rotary disk themarginal portion of Which is arranged in lapped confronting relation tosaid cutter to guide the Work, a driven shaft to which said disk isaffixed to feed the Work, manually operative means arranged to shiftsaid shaft v axially to regulate the closeness of trimming, and a stoparranged to limit the adjusting l0 movement of said disk in onedirection.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name toy this specification.

Y SIDNEY J. FINN.

